Days Gone By
by IamJules
Summary: Sequel to That's What You Get.It had been 5 years since Gabriella had seen Ryan. She knew he was gone but why was she seeing him everywhere?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:This is a SEQUEL to my first story "That's What You Get". If you haven't read that GO READ IT… Please :) because it won't make much sense to you if you read this story without reading the first one ;). This is just a trailer for my new story "Days Gone By"**

**TRAILER **

_**It had been 5 years since Gabriella Montez saw Ryan Evans**_

Flashback to Ryan and Gabriella in a bathroom.

"_At least we can still laugh about it." _

She nods and they both lean in for a kiss.

Flashback to Gabriella reading a text message from her boyfriend, Troy Bolton

_To Gabriella:_

_Hey baby, Just txting 2 see how u are._

_Love u,_

_Troy._

Flashback to Troy talking to Gabriella in the halls

"_Are you cheating on me with him?"_

"_Cheat on you?! With Ryan?!"_

_**It had been 5 years since the accident**_

Flashback to Ryan, Troy, Sharpay, and Gabriella on the cliff.

"_Am I really forgiven?"_

"_Of course you are, Ryan"_

Shows Ryan running towards the edge of the cliff.

"_NO!"_

Fade to black.

_**After 5 years she still sees him.**_

Cut to Gabriella staring at a young blonde man across the street. She looks away and then looks back and he's gone.

Cut to Gabriella and Sharpay talking in a café.

"_Sharpay I need to tell you something"_

Cut to Gabriella following a blonde man in a department store.

Gabriella voice over:"_I still see him"_

Cut to Sharpay looking confused

"_See who?"_

Cut to Gabriella turning the man around. It's a stranger. She apologizes and turns around again.

V/O: "_I know it's impossible…"_

"_Gabriella, who are you talking about?"_

Gabriella turns around and sees a blonde man with blue eyes staring at her. She opens her mouth to speak but the man runs away.

Cut back to Sharpay and Gabriella in the café

"_I'm talking about Ryan"_

Shows Gabriella in her apartment. She looks out the window and sees the same blonde man across the street. She runs outside and he's gone.

Sharpay V/O:_ "Gabi, Ryan's dead. You know that."_

Shows Gabriella running down the street.

Gabriella V/O :"_His body was never found! What if he's alive? What if he's here?"_

Cut to Troy and Sharpay giving each other skeptical looks.

Cut to Gabriella in her apartment again. There's a knock on the door. She runs to get it.

"_Gabriella."_ A male voice says.

Shows Gabriella in shock.

"_Ryan?"_

Fade to black.

**Days Gone By**


	2. After 5 years

**A/N: I am SO sorry I haven't updated. I've been uber busy. So here ya go. The first chapter! Enjoy!!**

_The two teenagers stood on the edge of the cliff. The dark night surrounded them. The boy was staring intently at the girl in front of him. His light blonde hair and dark blue eyes glistened in the darkness. The girl managed to bring her dark brown eyes up to meet his._

"_Why did you do it?" she asked him. The boy shrugged and continued to stare at her. "If you knew how much I missed you…" She said, tears forming in her eyes. The boy walked towards her and stroked her long dark curls. She brought her hand up to his. His hand was cold as ice._

"_I'm sorry Gabriella," he said, "I never wanted to hurt you." He leant down and kissed her lips softly. She sighed as his frozen lips brushed hers. _

"_You're so cold, Ryan" She whispered._

"_I guess so…" He shrugged. She smiled nervously._

"_That's what you get…" She said quietly and pushed him roughly towards the edge of the cliff._

"_Gabriella, what are you doing?" Ryan asked with fear in his eyes. He was now standing on the very edge, with her holding on to his shirt tightly._

"_All of this is my fault," She told him, loosening her grip a little. Tears glistened in her eyes. "I let you go." _

"_Don't say that." He whispered. "Please don't let go of me."_

"_It's my fault!" She cried and let go of his shirt. She watched as the blonde boy fell towards the crashing waves._

**BEEP BEEP BEEP**

Gabriella Montez sat up quickly, breathing heavily. She let her eyes focus on her surroundings. The sun shone brightly through her curtains and into her bedroom. She wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead. Even after 5 years she was still haunted by the same dream every single night.

"Ryan, you're killing me." She mumbled and got out of bed to take a shower.

20 minutes later she emerged from her bathroom, refreshed and ready for another day. She quickly found an outfit to wear and got dressed. She walked out of her room into the living room of her downtown apartment she shared with her best friend, Sharpay Evans. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a muffin and some orange juice. 5 minutes later Sharpay entered the kitchen.

"Morning, Gabs." Sharpay yawned. She was still in her pajamas and had clearly woken up only moments ago.

"Hey." Gabriella said, not even looking up from the newspaper she had in her hand.

"You okay, Gabs? You look terrible." Sharpay stated, sitting down across from Gabriella. Gabriella looked up and smirked.

"Thanks a lot Sharpay," She said rolling her eyes.

"You know what I mean. You look tired." Sharpay tried again. Gabriella sighed and hung her head.

"I know, I know. It's just that I haven't been sleeping well." She said truthfully. Sharpay nodded in understanding.

"Still having that dream?" Sharpay asked carefully. She knew it was a hard subject to talk about. Gabriella sighed and nodded her head. "I dream about him too," she confessed. Gabriella stared in wonder at Sharpay. She had never mentioned that before, "Not all the time but sometimes. I talk to him too," She said quietly.

"Really?" Gabriella asked. Sharpay nodded, "What about?"

"I dunno… Everything. When he was… Still here, I talked to him about everything. He's- He was my twin. I still have to let him know about everything that's going on. I even talk to him about you sometimes." She said staring into space. Gabriella smiled. Sharpay didn't talk about Ryan often. No one did. It had taken so long for Sharpay to even come out of her own little world after Ryan had disappeared. But finally she was able to accept the fact that he twin brother was gone. People tried to be careful not to mention Ryan around Sharpay but little did they know, Sharpay loved when he was mentioned. It gave her time to think about when he was still with her.

"I didn't know that." Gabriella said. She started to feel a little better. Sharpay shrugged.

"Meh, whatever." She laughed. The two continued to eat their breakfast.

"So are you not going to work today?" Gabriella asked realizing that Sharpay had not gone to get ready yet.

"Yep I've got the day off." She sighed happily. Sharpay worked at a fashion magazine and she was rewarded few days off. "You're working right?"

"Unfortunately." Gabriella mumbled. Gabriella worked at a local library. Luckily it was only a few blocks away from the girls' apartment.

"Well, you wanna meet up for lunch?" Sharpay offered. Gabriella nodded a yes, "Great! I'll meet you at the library at 1:00. I'm gonna be around there anyway. I'm meeting Troy for coffee a little earlier so I'll see if he wants to come too" she said. Gabriella had dated Troy Bolton for two months before the whole Ryan ordeal. To everyone's surprise they had continued to date for almost two years after that. They both agreed that their relationship wasn't working anymore but agreed to still be friends and they were. Troy, Sharpay, and Gabriella had become best friends over the past 5 years when the rest of their friends had gone off to live their own lives. In the recent months Troy and Sharpay had become much closer and Gabriella was happy for them. She just wished she could have someone to share something special with. _Someone like Ryan._

"Ah, I gotta go! I'm going to be late!" Gabriella shrieked as she looked at the clock. She had ten minutes to get to work. "I'll see you later!" she called to Sharpay as she rushed out of the apartment. She skipped down the stairs and ran outside. She didn't know it was raining until she stepped outside

"Oh crap," she whispered as she hurried down the street in the direction of the Library.

She was in such a hurry she didn't even notice the young man with blonde hair and dark blue eyes, watching her from across the street.


	3. It isn't him

**A/N: God, I'm horrible! Sorry I haven't updated. I've been trying to do as much stuff as I can before I go back to school. I'll try to update more.**

"MS. MONTEZ!" A voice whispered harshly from out of nowhere.

Gabriella sat up quickly and turned around. She had fallen asleep in the stacks again. She looked over the nearest bookshelf and saw Mrs. Finch the head librarian. The anger in her face and her piercing eyes made Gabriella shudder.

"This is the third time this month you've fallen asleep on the job, Ms.Montez" She said. Gabriella stood up and straightened out her outfit.

"I am so sorry, Mrs. Finch. I haven't been sleeping well. It won't happen again." Gabriella whispered.

"It better not." Mrs. Finch said and gave her one last deathly glare then walked away. Gabriella sighed and leaned against the shelf.

This had been the third time she had fallen asleep in the library. She couldn't help it. She always found herself sneaking off the to the stacks at the far end of the library and grabbing a few books to read before she would fall asleep.

Gabriella looked down at her wrist. It was almost 1:00 and that meant she could have her lunch break. She gathered up the books she had found and places them on a nearby trolley. She turned to leave and saw a flash of blonde hair behind a bookshelf. She looked around but had lost sight of whoever it had been. No one usually ever came to this section of the library so it was a rare occurrence when she would see someone there. Curiosity got the better of her and she wandered around the shelves looking for the person. After a minute she shrugged and decided to make her way to lunch. As soon as she turned around she saw the person again. This time she saw the person- the man- more clearly. His back was turned to her and he was walking quickly towards the exit. He had a gray hat on and a dark blue dress shirt on. Gabriella froze.

"Ryan…" She whispered to herself. She finally found the feeling in her legs again and followed the man. He had gone out the back exit. She ran out into the back alley and looked around. No one was there. She sighed. _Don't be an idiot, Gabi. It wasn't Ryan. He's dead._ She took one last look around and then headed back inside. She went to the front of the library and saw Sharpay and Troy standing outside. She rushed out and greeted them.

"Hey, Gabs" they said in unison.

"Hey guys." She said tiredly. She linked arms with Sharpay and they started to walk to the nearby restaurant.

"What's wrong, Gabi?" Troy asked. Troy had changed a lot over the 5 years. He was much taller and more muscular and he played for the University basketball team. But on the inside he was still the same caring Troy Bolton that Gabriella knew in high school.

"Oh nothing… It's been a long morning." She said looking at the ground.

"Are you sure? Did anything happen?" Sharpay asked. Gabriella tried to laugh but no sound came out.

"Seriously guys, I'm fine." Gabriella didn't want to mention the man she saw in the library. The same thing had happened before. Gabriella had been at a grocery store and she swore she had seen Ryan at the cashiers so she had ran up to him calling out 'Ryan' and when the man turned around it was indeed no one she had ever met in her entire life. She had told both Sharpay and Troy and she remembered how they had try to tell her that Ryan was dead but she had been convinced. Whenever Gabriella saw a young man with blonde hair she would immediately build up hope. Only after the grocery incident she finally gave up. But this time Gabriella had felt something when she saw the man in the library. Something about him had seemed so familiar. And the way he dressed was exactly like how she remembered Ryan.

"Well, okay." Troy said, sounding unconvinced. They made their way into the restaurant and took their seats. Troy and Sharpay sat side by side while Gabriella sat across from them. "Gabi… There's something Shar and I want to talk to you about…" Troy said cautiously. This grabbed her attention. She gave them both a questioning glance.

"And what would that be…?" Gabriella asked although she had an idea. They were finally going to tell her they had decided to become a couple. _ABOUT TIME._

"Well, Gabs… We know you haven't really been on the dating scene lately…" Sharpay said. _Now I'm confused._

"Yeah and Shar and I have been talking and we think that maybe you should give dating a try again." Troy finished. Gabriella's jaw dropped. She hadn't dated for almost 2 years. She had been on a couple dates in the last 5 years but for some reason whenever she tried to get close to a guy she thought of Ryan. For some reason it felt as if she was betraying him. "We know the last time you tried dating it didn't really work out but I think-."

"-No." Gabriella cut her off. Both Sharpay and Troy looked taken aback.

"Gabi, come on. Just give it a try. We hate seeing you by yourself. You need someone special." Troy argued. Gabriella just shook her head.

"I know you guys want me to have someone but really I'm fine being single. I just don't feel like dating anyone right now. And besides why would I need someone when I've got you guys?" Gabriella said. Both Troy and Sharpay let out a small laugh and the conversation was dropped and the continued with their meals.

When the three had finished their meals the three friends decided to go get a coffee. On the way to the café, Gabriella kept her eyes on the ground. While she walked she liked to watch her feet. Troy and Sharpay laughed at her for it but she didn't really think much about it. Suddenly she felt someone bump her shoulder. She grasped her shoulder and turned around to see the man from the library walking away.

"You can say sorry you know!" Sharpay shouted at the guy as he disappeared around the corner. Gabriella continued to stare after him. "You okay, Gabs? What a jerk. He bumped into you and didn't even say sorry." Gabriella nodded slowly.

"Hey guys did you see that guys face?" She asked quietly. Both Troy and Sharpay shook their heads.

"No he had his head down the entire time," Troy said, "Why? Do you know him?" Gabriella glanced quickly at her two friends. _Should I tell them about the library?_ She looked back at the corner where he had disappeared. "Gabs? Do you know that guy?" She finally shook her head.

"I- I think he was in the library today. That's all." She told them. They both nodded and continued walking. Gabriella stayed rooted on the spot.

"Gabs, come on. You have to get back to work soon." Sharpay called to her and Gabriella hurried to catch up with her friends but she couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity she had when she saw that man.

* * *

The young man watched the three friends walk down the street. He had been too risky earlier in the library. She had seen him but he was sure she hadn't seen his face. And bumping into her could have risked everything but he just had to touch her. He walked behind them stealthily making sure they didn't see him. He stared longingly at the girl with dark brown curls and smiled when he saw her hug her best friend with the blonde hair. Seeing the three pained his heart. _I could be there right now. If only I could talk to them._ But he knew he couldn't. He had to try to stay out of sight until the right time.

"It'll be soon… I'll tell them soon." He whispered to himself and walked away.

**A/N: Was that horrible? I dunno.. I had trouble with this chapter.**


	4. Someone's At The Door

Gabriella woke up in a sweat again the next morning. She sighed and tried to shake the horrible feeling leftover from the dream. She got up, had a shower, got dressed, and met Sharpay in the kitchen.

"Ready for a fun day of SHOPPING?!" Sharpay shouted as Gabriella stepped into the kitchen. Gabriella laughed and nodded her head tiredly. It was finally the weekend and Sharpay and Gabriella had made plans to go to the mall. "I need to get some new shirts, some new skirts, some new pants, and maybe a new hat…" Sharpay drifted off thoughtfully. Gabriella was about to say something when Sharpay started up again, "And some new eyeshadow, some new nailpolish, and we HAVE to get a new sofa… Maybe a new microwave too…" She said shifting her eyes to the microwave, which she had bought only a year ago."

"I don't think there's enough time in the day to get all that done…" Gabriella laughed. Sharpay glanced at her then picked up her purse.

"Oh Gabriella… So silly." She said and walked out the door expecting Gabriella to follow. Gabriella just laughed and picked up her jacket and purse and ran out the door to catch Sharpay.

* * *

"Sharpay, PLEASE, can we take a break?!" Gabriella cried as she trudged into the department store after Sharpay.

"Oh Gabi, it's just one more store. Then we can go out and get a coffee." Sharpay laughed as she dragged Gabriella through the store. Sharpay was dead set on getting a new sofa and she didn't like any of the ones she had seen so far so this was there last stop. Sharpay was already carrying 5 bags of clothes and even Gabriella was holding a couple of Sharpay's bags including a couple of her own. They made their way into the furniture section and Sharpay turned on Gabriella. "Okay how about this? I pick out a sofa and you go sit down somewhere?" Gabriella sighed in relief.

"Are you sure? I can help. It will be going in _our_ apartment." Gabriella said. Sharpay shook her head.

"No seriously. Go sit down. Anyway you don't have to be nervous. I have wonderful taste." Sharpay said and shooed her off. "Tootles!" Sharpay called. Gabriella laughed as she went looking for a comfortable place to sit. Sharpay had been saying the same thing since high school.

After a minute of searching, Gabi finally found a comfortable looking chair in the corner of the store. She collapsed into it and felt her head fall backwards, comfortably. She closed her eyes and relaxed.

"I hate shopping" She mumbled to herself but opened her eyes quickly when she heard a voice. It had only been for a second but she had sworn she heard a man's voice. She looked around nervously. No one was in sight. _Stop being so paranoid, Gabi._ She closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair again. Seconds later she heard a small crash. She jumped out of the chair and looked around. She saw a man in a black baseball cap scrambling to pick something up. He turned quickly, and Gabriella could see blonde hair sticking out from under the hat. Once again she had a feeling of familiarity. "Hey! Wait!" She called and hurried after the guy. She saw him turn a corner and she quickened her pace, not wanting to lose him. When she turned the corner she grinned when she saw the man a few feet away looking at something. She ran up to him and placed her hand on his arm, "Ryan?" She spoke softly, and turned the man towards her. When she saw the man's face she let out a sigh of disappointment. It wasn't Ryan. It wasn't anyone she knew at all. She felt her face turn red.

"Um can I help you?" The guy asked. Gabriella stepped back and hugged herself.

"N-No. Sorry. I- I thought you were someone else." She said, her voice breaking. The man smiled sympathetically and walked away. "Damn." She muttered to herself. She had been so sure this time. _Why are you doing this to yourself, Gabs? He's gone and he's not coming back. _She sighed and turned around to find Sharpay but found herself looking into a pair of stormy blue eyes at a distance. She didn't have time to notice the blonde hair under the black baseball cap because in a split-second the person was gone. Gabriella was frozen in her spot, unable to move. "It was him…" She felt the words slip off her tongue.

"What was who?" Gabriella heard Sharpay's curious voice from behind her. She turned around to see Sharpay looking at her questioningly.

"Oh… Um. Nothing. I'm just going crazy." Gabriella said trying to laugh. _Maybe I am though. _Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"Alrighty then," She said, "Well I bought a sofa! It'll look great don't worry! We'll have it in a few days. I'm so excited!" She said clapping her hands together but Gabriella wasn't paying much attention, "Did you see anything you like?" she asked Gabriella.

"Huh?" Gabriella murmured. Sharpay stuck her hand in front of Gabi's face and started waving it. Gabriella was brought out of her thoughts.

"Space cadet much?" Sharpay said.

"Yeah. Sorry, I was zoning." She said, "and no I didn't see anything I liked. Can we go get a coffee now?" She asked and Sharpay nodded excitedly.

* * *

Sharpay and Gabriella had found a quaint little café only a few blocks down from the mall. It had started raining and Gabriella found herself staring out at rain through the window of the café. Sharpay sat and watched Gabriella quietly.

"Gabs, is something bothering you lately?" Sharpay asked her finally. Gabriella turned her head away from the window and wondered if she should tell Sharpay what had been going on. _What if she gets angry? What if she thinks I'm mental?._ After a few moments, Gabriella decided to tell Sharpay.

"Sharpay… I need to tell you something?" Gabriella said cautiously.

"Oh my God, are you pregnant?!" Sharpay shrieked. Gabriella shook her head furiously and almost spat out the coffee she just drank.

"No! God no!" She cried softly.

"Okay good. I just wanted to ask the worst case scenario first." Sharpay told her. Gabriella sighed and shook her head.

"Shar, please. This is important." She pleaded softly. Sharpay's eyes softened and she held her friend's hand.

"I'm sorry, Gabs. What is it?"

"I still see him." Gabriella whispered. Sharpay looked at her, clearly confused.

"See who…?" She asked slowly. Gabriella sighed again and looked out the window.

"I know it's impossible…" She said, watching the raindrops splash against the window.

"Gabriella, who are you talking about?" Sharpay asked again, but this time sounding concerned. Gabriella waited a moment looked back at Sharpay.

"I'm talking about Ryan."

Sharpay's concerned expression quickly turned to sympathy and sadness.

"Gabi, Ryan's dead… You know that" Sharpay said softly, holding Gabriella's hand tighter. Gabriella pulled away and felt a few tears escape her eyes.

"You don't know that!" She cried. A few people in the café turned to look at the two friends.

"He's dead, Gabs." Sharpay said firmly.

"His body was never found! What if he's alive?! What if he's here?!" Gabriella cried again. Sharpay paled and stood up.

"If that's what you want to believe then fine. I'm not going to sit and wait for you to realize that he's gone and that he's not coming back." She said with tears in her eyes. She grabbed her bags and ran out of the café. Gabriella looked around at the people in the café. All eyes were on her. She grabbed her things and ran out feeling embarrassed. She rushed back to her apartment and didn't bother to take the elevator. She ran up the stairs two by two and almost slipped on the last step. She made it into her apartment and threw all her things on to the couch. She flopped down on to the couch and hugged a pillow tightly to her chest. _Nice going, Gabs. You've really messed up this time._ She lay still for a few moments listening to the rain. She finally got up and walked over to the window. She stared out on to the busy street below. After a moment, something caught her eye. A man was standing across the street looking up apartment. She couldn't see him very well but she could make out a black baseball hat. She stumbled backwards and tried to steady her breathing. She ran towards her door without even grabbing her jacked. She raced down the steps and on to the street. She felt the rain soak through he clothes and she shivered as she looked for the man. He was nowhere to be seen but she made her way into the alley across from her building. She looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of him. By now she was crying but to anyone else they would have just thought it was the rain. After a moment, Gabriella collapsed on to the wet cement and cried.

"Why are you doing this?!" she yelled. "Why can't I just see you?" she muttered and picked herself up. She slowly made her way across the street and into her apartment building. She dragged herself up to her apartment and when she finally got there she took a look at herself. Her hair was wet and ruined, her make up was running, and her clothes were completely soaked through. She let out a tiny whimper and walked slowly into the bathroom. She climbed into the shower and turned the hot water on. She let herself soak in the steamy water for a few minutes and then finally made her way into her room to put on some sweats. She emerged a few minutes later, feeling better. She flicked on the TV and searched for something to watch. She finally came across and episode of "Friends". She grabbed a blanket and settled in. After a few moments she was fast asleep.

**

* * *

****BANG BANG BANG**

Gabriella's eyes shot open. She looked around and saw that it was nighttime already. She looked at the clock. 9:47. She glanced around the apartment. _Sharpay still isn't home._

**BANG BANG BANG**

She jumped up and remembered why she had **woken** up. Someone was knocking on the door. She turned off the TV and rushed to the front door.

"Hold on! I'm coming!" She called. She reached the front door and turned the handle. "Sorry it took-." She stopped mid sentence. She stared at the person in front of her.

"Gabriella." the soft voice came. She let out a tiny breath that she had been holding in.

"Ryan…" she whispered and then her whole world went black.

**A/N: Oooooooooooooooo. Ahhhhhhhhhh. What's gonna happen?! Keep reading to find out!**


	5. Is this finally the end?

**A/N: Okay so… You probably all want to kill me with a blunt object and I AM SO SORRY that this has taken forever. REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry! But anyways this is the end.**

"_Gabriella." the soft voice came. She let out a tiny breath that she had been holding in._

"_Ryan…" she whispered and then her whole world went black._

* * *

"Gabriella." Gabriella heard a voice call her name, "Gabriella, wake up. Please?" 

Gabriella slowly opened her eyes. As soon as her vision was focused she realized she was staring into a pair of stormy blue eyes. She knew those eyes so well. She had missed them so much.

"Ryan…" She said softly. She reached her hand to stroke his pale face.

"It's me, Gabi. It's me." He spoke softly reaching his own hand up to grasp hers. They sat there for moments, just staring at each other. Gabriella's eyes wandered over his face. He hadn't changed much. He looked older of course but he was still pale, and thin, and had the same beautiful light blonde hair. But something was different about him. The closer she stared at his soft pale skin, she noticed tiny scars that marked the side of his face. And when she looked deeper into his eyes, she noticed how much pain and sadness they held. She ran her hand along the scars and he closed his eyes, leaning into her touch.

"Why did you leave me?" She choked out. He opened his eyes and she could see the tears that fought to escape. He shifted his gaze to the ground. "Tell me why you left," she said, her voice much stronger than before. When he still didn't answer, she pushed him off her and stood up. Her own tears were now flowing freely and she didn't care. She wanted him to see how much he had hurt her, "I need to know!" She screamed at him, "Tell me why you left!! Tell my why you felt the need to disappear for 5 years and make me think you were dead. How could you do that to me??! And to your sister!" She yelled. He visibly cringed when she mentioned Sharpay, "Please, Ryan! Say something!"

"I'm so sorry." He whispered, glancing at her quickly before focusing on his knee. "I… I didn't want to hurt you anymore" he said.

"You didn't want to hurt me?!" She scoffed, "So you thought 'killing' yourself would make it all better?" She yelled.

"Gabriella… Please believe me when I tell you I thought it was for the best." He whispered reaching for her hand and grasping it tightly. She tried to pull away but felt all her strength disappear.

"How could losing you be what's best, Ryan?" She cried silently. She put her arms around his neck and breathed in the scent she had missed. "I missed you so much," she mumbled into his chest.

"I missed you too, Gabi," He said and held her to him tightly. They stayed in that position for what felt like forever. "You look so tired" he said softly after a few moments. Gabriella let out a tiny laugh and rubbed her eyes.

"I haven't been sleeping much lately… Nightmares." She said glancing at him.

"Here come on. You should get some sleep." He said to her, trying to get her to lean back on to the couch.

"No! I don't want to sleep. I want to stay here with you." She fought back. Ryan laughed and placed his hand on her cheek.

"I'm not going anywhere, Gabi. I'm right here. I'll always be right here." He whispered and kissed her forehead, "Now get some rest."

Gabriella felt her eyelids drooping and fought to keep them open. After a few seconds she gave into sleep and drifted off.

* * *

"Gabriella, wake up!" a loud voice pierced her ears. 

Gabriella shot up from the couch and looked around to see Sharpay standing beside the couch with her hands on her hips.

"Finally. I've been trying to wake you up for like 5 minutes." Sharpay said and sat down on the couch where just a minute before, Gabriella's head had been resting. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened earlier today. I shouldn't have run out on you like that." Gabriella could hear Sharpay's voice but she wasn't paying attention. She was scanning the room for Ryan.

"Where is he…?" she whispered to herself.

"What's that?" Sharpay asked. Suddenly there was a crash in the kitchen. Gabriella ran to the kitchen door and swung it open.

"Ryan!" She cried happily as she ran through the door but as soon as she looked around she saw that it was only Troy who had caused the interruption.

"Gabi…" Troy sighed as he saw the tears in her eyes.

"Where is he?!" She cried, exiting the kitchen and wandering through the apartment. "He was here! He told me he wouldn't leave!"

She searched the entire apartment with Sharpay and Troy trying to calm her down.

"Gabi, come on, relax. He's not here. He was never here." Troy said soothingly.

"Yes he was, Troy! You weren't here. I saw him. I talked to him." Gabriella cried.

"Gabriella, you're in hysterics." Sharpay said but Gabi ignored her and threw herself on to the couch. She drew her legs up to her chest and wept.

"Why would he do that?" she mumbled between sobs. Troy sat down at her feet and pulled her towards him.

"Gabi… This is so hard for me to say but… Sharpay and I both think that maybe you need to go see a doctor." He said rubbing her shoulder. Gabriella lifted her head to glare at troy.

"I'm… Not… Crazy" she said through clenched teeth. Both Sharpay and Troy sighed.

"Gabs, what makes more sense? Ryan coming back from the dead and stalking you OR maybe you just want to see him so badly that it's all you can think about and you're just dreaming him up." Sharpay reasoned. Gabriella sat quietly for a few moments and then covered her face with a pillow.

"I AM CRAZY!" Her muffled cry rang out.

"You're not crazy, Hon." Sharpay whispered.

"Yes I am" Gabriella pouted. She was so sure that Ryan had been here but the more she thought about it the more she began to realize how ridiculous that was.

"Well fine if you want to be crazy, be crazy." Troy laughed and Sharpay punched him lightly on the arm.

"I'm sorry for being such a freak, guys. I was just so sure." Gabriella said.

"I know. I want to see him too. I would do anything to see him again." Sharpay sighed and hugged Gabriella. "We just have to accept the fact that he's gone and he's not coming-." She cut off and stared at the front door. Gabriella and Troy both turned their heads to look towards the front door and saw Ryan standing in the doorway with a bag of groceries and a nervous smile on his face, "-Back."

**A/N: Okay sorry for the crummy ending. I just kinda wanted it to be very blunt. I didn't want to get really into him coming back.**


End file.
